Jackets beat Rams to clinch playoff spot

Published: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 09:51 PM.

GASTONIA — Both Bessemer City and Highland Tech entered Tuesday’s Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference regular season finale with a sense of urgency.

The winner would clinch the league’s lone remaining berth in the state 1A baseball playoffs; the loser would have to wait out the possibility of a wildcard bid.

In a game that started favorably for the host Rams, Bessemer City scored in six of the seven innings and rode the pitching of senior Jacob Withers to a 6-2 win at Sims Legion Park.

“We were backed into a corner coming into the last game, so this was a big win for us,” said Bessemer City coach Brandon Scott, whose Yellow Jackets were in danger of being swept by the Rams and thus losing the tiebreaker for the third 1A spot.

Withers survived a rocky start in which he gave up two runs in the first inning but shut out Highland Tech the rest of the way. In going the distance, Withers pitched a five-hitter with two strikeouts and no walks allowed.

In addition, Withers helped his own cause by turning a double play in the bottom of the seventh after allowing a lead-off pinch-hit single. He ran down an infield pop-up and flipped to first base to double up the runner.

On offense, eight of the nine BC starters hit safely in the game as the Jackets applied steady pressure on Highland Tech ace Ethan Reep. They also ran the bases aggressively, collecting five stolen bases for the game.

GASTONIA — Both Bessemer City and Highland Tech entered Tuesday’s Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference regular season finale with a sense of urgency.

The winner would clinch the league’s lone remaining berth in the state 1A baseball playoffs; the loser would have to wait out the possibility of a wildcard bid.

In a game that started favorably for the host Rams, Bessemer City scored in six of the seven innings and rode the pitching of senior Jacob Withers to a 6-2 win at Sims Legion Park.

“We were backed into a corner coming into the last game, so this was a big win for us,” said Bessemer City coach Brandon Scott, whose Yellow Jackets were in danger of being swept by the Rams and thus losing the tiebreaker for the third 1A spot.

Withers survived a rocky start in which he gave up two runs in the first inning but shut out Highland Tech the rest of the way. In going the distance, Withers pitched a five-hitter with two strikeouts and no walks allowed.

In addition, Withers helped his own cause by turning a double play in the bottom of the seventh after allowing a lead-off pinch-hit single. He ran down an infield pop-up and flipped to first base to double up the runner.

On offense, eight of the nine BC starters hit safely in the game as the Jackets applied steady pressure on Highland Tech ace Ethan Reep. They also ran the bases aggressively, collecting five stolen bases for the game.

Damian Scott led the way with a double and a single in three at-bats, one run scored, and two stolen bases.

“We have a lot of team speed, and we try to put pressure on people,” Brandon Scott said. “We were able to do that today, plus take advantage of mistakes.”

Reep got erratic support from his defense, and two of Bessemer City’s six runs were unearned.

The Jackets (8-14, 4-10) tied the game 2-2 in the third when Addison Stinnett doubled to deep center, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Jha’Qui Adams’ groundout.

Scott came home on Demetrius Adams’ sacrifice fly in the fourth to break the tie, and BC added solo runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

After breaking through in the bottom of the first, the Rams (6-15, 2-12) could not build on that momentum. Withers retired nine Highland Tech batters in a row over a three-inning stretch.

“We gave them the game,” Highland Tech coach Tommy Shumaker said. “It should have been 2-2 and we are still playing. We can’t make those mistakes.”

The Rams end the regular season Wednesday with a non-league game against Ashbrook, and a win would enhance their playoff resume.

“We think six (wins) will get us in, but seven would be better, no doubt,” Shumaker said.

Meanwhile, Reep added to his season strikeout total with eight more, giving the junior left-hander 113 on the year.